FAO SAYS NO GLOBAL WATER CRISIS, BUT SERIOUS REGIONAL WATER SCARCITY PROBLEMS
SHOULD ENCOURAGE FARMERS TO PRODUCE MORE WITH LESS WATER

Rome/The Hague, 17 March -- In the future, globally there should be enough
water to grow the food needed by an expanding world population. But, an
increasing number of regions and countries will face water scarcity and will
not be able to produce all the food they need locally. That was the message
delivered at the World Water Forum in The Hague today by Assistant
Director-General Louise Fresco of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO).

"Hungry people, and hungry regions, can exist in the midst of plenty. It
is no accident that many of the nearly 800 million people who still go to
bed hungry every night live in water-scarce and in water flooded regions.
Water and food security are intimately linked, access to water is a key to
food security," Ms. Fresco said.

Much of the needed increase in crop production will come from irrigated land,
according to FAO. Currently, about 20 percent of agricultural land is being
irrigated in developing countries, providing 40 percent of the crops grown
in these countries.

FAO expects that the area of land being irrigated in a large number of developing
countries will continue to increase until 2030. If farmers apply improved
water management techniques to increase efficiency, FAO estimates that an
increase of 34 percent in irrigated land area can be achieved using only
12 percent more water. To accomplish this, farmers will have to be more efficient
and productive in their use of agricultural water, learning to produce more
crop per drop. If this is achieved, no major water crisis should affect irrigated
food production at the global level and future demand for irrigation water
beyond 2030 is expected to continue to slow as world population growth also
slows.

At the regional level, the story is quite different and varies dramatically.
In the Near East and North Africa, about 60 percent of available water resources
are currently being used for irrigation, while Latin America barely uses
one percent.

Of the 93 developing countries studied by FAO in 1996, 12 already used almost
half their water resources for irrigation, a situation that FAO considers
critical. Another eight countries suffer from water scarcity, using more
than 20 percent of their water resources for irrigation.

"Water is a key factor in efforts to eradicate food insecurity and rural
poverty. Rural people must have equitable access to water and other productive
resources," Ms. Fresco said. "In particular, since women represent the most
vulnerable group and are in control of household food security, women in
irrigation must gain access to water and other rights and have full participation
in decision-making processes."

Many developing countries rely heavily on irrigation. In all regions, except
Europe and North America, agriculture is by far the biggest user of water,
accounting worldwide for almost 70 percent of water use, with domestic use.

According to Ms. Fresco, irrigation can contribute to food security by increasing
local food production. It also helps rural people increase their incomes.

"Soil moisture management techniques in rain-fed agriculture also substantially
increase and stabilize local production," said Ms. Fresco. "Drought management
can reduce vulnerability and enhance the resilience of rural communities
in large parts of the world."

According to Ms. Fresco, "Secure water rights and full cost pricing of irrigation
water are essential for the economic sustainability of the irrigation sector,
and of investment in increasing water-use efficiency." Policy reforms should
encourage the private sector to invest in improved water management, while
protecting the rights of the poorest people by ensuring more equitable access
to water.

"Lack of agreement between countries on transboundary river management hinders
or blocks efficient water development and water quality management," Ms.
Fresco said. "Further progress is needed towards agreements on the shared
use of limited water resources."

She added that pollution caused by too much fertilizer and pesticide use,
particularly in irrigation schemes, could now be prevented through integrated
pest and plant nutrient management.